Letter: Support Love

10:18 AM, Jun 6, 2012

It seems that many believe our country is stumbling down a slippery slope. The gays want to get married!? And the president supports them!? He does indeed. In a bold move, daring to speak for his own convictions, our president declared his support for love.

And in the process moved himself, as columnist LZ Granderson argues, onto the level of Lincoln, FDR, and JFK—"Men who risked a great deal personally to move the country forward socially." These are the men who stand out in history as great leaders.

We haven't had one of these leaders in so long that it seems people are missing the point. This isn't about who any of us chooses to have sex with or what any religious text says about said sex.

The American president has voiced his opinion on expanding the rights of American citizens. He isn't hiding behind a mask of religion, sending young Americans to die in faraway places while serving the interests of his wealthy friends (oil!). If anything, this man has sought to end America's wars of aggression, strengthen our economy (and sustainably too!), and guarantee equitable health care. And now, in what so many seem to think is his boldest move, he supports allowing loving couples to legally commit to each other. This isn't about religion/ideology/alleged-lack-thereof. This is about expanding the rights of the American people, all of the American people, which can only make us stronger.

So on this random Thursday afternoon, I am suddenly feeling a renewed sense of American pride. I am proud that any one of you can openly quote Leviticus to me, and I can openly tell you that this is 2012.

And I am proud of my president. Thank you, sir, for being open with your own convictions. We all may not agree with you, but we know where you stand. We stand together on some issues, apart on others, yet always together as Americans. It is our ability for open debate, and leaders like you who aren't afraid to spur it, that make America great.